Japanese pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano re-signed with the Yomiuri Giants Thursday, and he will not sign with a MLB team for the 2021 season. His contract will pay out $40 million over four years with an opt out after every year. That allows Sugano to try and come to MLB again after 2021.
Right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano has reached a four-year, $40M deal to return to the Yomiuri Giants, source tells The Athletic. As previously reported, the deal includes three opt-outs.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 8, 2021
Tomoyuki Sugano Re-Signs with Yomiuri Giants
The 31-year-old right-handed pitcher had an outstanding year with Yomiuri in 2020. He appeared in 20 games, going 14-2 with a 1.97 ERA and 131 strikeouts in 137 1/3 innings. He finished third in ERA, but second in strikeouts, walks, and wins.
That is an excellent campaign regardless of what league he was in. He probably won’t dominate MLB, should he reach a deal next year, but could be a very effective starting pitcher.
According to MLB, Sugano throws two different fastballs, a slider, cutter, forkball, and curveball in decreasing order of usage. That is not uncommon given the typical Japanese pitcher going deeper into games compared to those in the United States and needing more pitches to survive. His fastball typically sat in the 91-93 MPH range and topped out at 95, but with excellent control based on his walk numbers.
Where Sugano Fits with His Team
There is no reason to think Sugano won’t be a quality addition for 2022, despite being in his early 30s. He has plenty of high-level experience in Japan and awards to show for his efforts overseas. Japan has produced such hurlers as Daisuke Matsuzaka and Yu Darvish, so the track record of talent is there. The main question will be if Sugano’s age holds him back at all. Most of the high-profile Japanese pitchers have been in their early-to-mid 20s, but he is over 30.
That isn’t usually what MLB teams look for when in the modern era of pitcher evaluations. However, this signing could turn into one of the smartest of the offseason if he adjusts quickly.
Main Photo:Embed from Getty Images
